Police in California are investigating the theft of more than 1,000 items from the Oakland Museum of California’s collection. The burglary took place in the early morning hours of October 15 at an off-site storage facility, according to a statement released by Oakland Police on Wednesday.
Lori Fogarty, director of the museum, said Thursday that authorities are making the investigation public because stolen artifacts could appear at flea markets, antique stores, or pawn shops. “They’re not just a loss to the museum,” she said. “They’re a loss to the public, to our community and we’re hoping our community can help us bring them home.”
Fogarty indicated that it appeared to be a crime of opportunity rather than a planned art theft. “We think the thieves found a way to enter the building, and they grabbed what they could easily find and snatch and get out of the building with,” she said.
The stolen objects include neckpieces by artist Florence Resnikoff, scrimshaw walrus tusks, Native American baskets, campaign pins, athletic awards, and other memorabilia from the 20th century.
The Oakland Museum of California collects works documenting California’s art, history, and natural environment. Its holdings range from late 18th-century artworks to contemporary pieces as well as photographs, artifacts, natural specimens, and sound recordings. The museum has also featured exhibitions on topics such as the Black Power movement and student activism.
John Romero, retired captain from Los Angeles Police Department’s commercial crimes unit, told the Los Angeles Times that detectives are likely monitoring online resale platforms like Craigslist and Ebay along with networks specializing in historic or collectible antiques. “These people are interested in fast cash, not the full appraisal value,” he told the Times. “They need to get rid of it quickly.”
In 2013, an individual broke into the museum itself and stole a Gold Rush-era jewelry box. Fogarty noted that this item was recovered through public assistance after being traced to a pawn shop; she expressed hope for similar support now.
Oakland Police declined further comment but confirmed they are working with an FBI unit focused on art crime including thefts involving antiquities or cultural property trafficking.
The burglary happened four days before another high-profile theft in which thieves stole Napoleonic jewels from Paris’s Louvre Museum; while arrests have been made in that case, those jewels remain missing.
